Question: can scientists ever cure blindness? or is being blind a permenant thing? (do you know anyone blind?)

Stephen Moss answered on 17 Mar 2011:

Hi Iluvgok

Until recently the answer would have been no. But scientists have recently used gene therapy for the first time to successfully prevent someone going blind. At the moment, there is not much we can do to help people who are already blind and it tends to be, sadly, a permanent condition. I don’t know anyone blind, but my work brings me into contact with many blind people. There are big challenges ahead, but these are exciting times.